Gold Slumbers
by OnceForeverXylo
Summary: Following a shocking death in Storybrooke, which causes a pirate to lose his purpose and a certain librarian to lose her grip on the light.
1. chapter preview

**authors note**

this is a preview of a chapter currently undergoing rigorous rewrites. I just wanted to post it now to gauge the general interest.  
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated and I hope to post the finished chapter shortly

thanks for reading

* * *

In Storybrooke something strange was going on. Night had fallen long ago, the sky already studded with stars, and yet the lights in one particular building shone out like beacons into the night. It was possible to see two shadows dancing past one another, slowly then rapidly. Then one raising its fist, leering dangerously over the other.

Killian sat up in bed, sweat beading on his forehead. Beside him Emma was squirming. "love" Killian whispered, nudging his wife. "Love."

Emma gave a sleepy groan and turned to face him. Her eyes still heavy with sleep. "Huh?" she grunted.

"Something odds going on down the street. I'm going to go and check it out"

"okay" she said sleepily. "get me some coffee. I think we're out"

Killian heaved a heavy sigh then got up from the bed, slipping into his boots and quickly throwing his jacket around his shoulders.

By the time he had arrived at the scene the lights were all out again, shrouding Mr Gold's in darkness. He pushed the door open and felt his breath catch all over again. Something had gone terribly wrong. Inside was a crime scene.

"Bloody Hell" gasped the pirate. His mind was all of a sudden filled with conflicted feelings, seeing the crocodile sprawled face down on his own floor in a pool of drying blood. It was something he'd fantasied about seeing for years, the only thoughts which accompanied him for so long on lonely nights as he nursed his flask of rum were of his hook buried in the crusty bastard's chest. Back in the enchanted forest he often only slept with the wenches he did to ground his hot, lustful rage in something. Then again, this picture was all wrong. He'd imagined a glorious battle, a biblical meeting, where he would slay the beast with honor. This was not a slaying, this seemed to have been a massacre. The signs of struggle obvious, various objects Gold had meticulously collected from many realms, clocks, jewellery and other miscellany strewn across the floor. There was even a little pile of porcelain beside the body, the smallest chips like snow against the wood.

After gawping at the scene for a few breathless moments he stepped into the interior of the shop, holding his hands out in front of him as if to defend himself. A few footsteps in he jumped as his foot met a particularly creaky board, his heart beginning to hammer in his chest but there was no resultant sound, nobody asking who was there as he had expected. Instead the noise echoed off into the bowels of the building, but then... what was that? A sniff? Killian clutched the flashlight at his hip, and walked a little further.

"Hello?" he said flicking the flashlight into his hand, his heart buoyed a little by the beam of light he had now "Belle? Do you need help love?"


	2. Chapter 1

**Something strange was going on in Storybrooke.** Night had fallen long ago, the sky already studded with stars. It was the sort of time that the town would usually be resting and yet the lights in one particular building (Mr Gold's Pawn Shop) shone out like beacons into the night colouring the fog which was slowly settling bright yellow.  
This sort of thing was common years ago, during the first and second curses when it was necessary to be ready at any moment to conjure up a potion or spell to smite a particularly nasty villain but not now. Now potions were relics of the past. Now even Rumple should have been in bed with his love, holding her tight and kissing her sleepily just like any other man. This didn't mean that he was.  
He instead stood in a room at the back of the shop, wisps of smoke from a brass pot curling around him. Just as he was bending down to sniff at the concoction the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end then a shadow fell over him and the room suddenly turned cold.

Hearing the thud down the street Killian sat up in bed, sweat beading on his forehead. Beside him Emma was squirming. "Love" He whispered, nudging his wife. "Love."

Emma gave a sleepy groan and turned to face him. Her eyes still heavy with sleep. "Huh?" she grunted.

"I'm going to go and see what the hell's going on outside"

"okay" she said sleepily. "Be careful" the protective instinct of a wife for her husband, especially in a town like this one not entirely evaporated yet.  
"I will love" Killian heaved a heavy sigh then got up from the bed, slipping into his boots and quickly throwing his jacket around his shoulders.

*

By the time he had arrived at the scene the lights were all out again, shrouding Mr Gold's in darkness. He pushed the door open and felt his breath catch all over again. Something had gone terribly wrong. Inside was a crime scene.

"Bloody Hell" gasped the pirate. His mind was all of a sudden filled with conflicted feelings, seeing the crocodile sprawled face down on his own floor in a pool of drying blood. It was something he'd fantasied about seeing for years, the only thoughts which accompanied him for so long on lonely nights as he nursed his flask of rum were of his hook buried in the crusty bastard's chest. Back in the Enchanted Forest he often only slept with the wenches he did to ground his hot, lustful rage in something.  
This picture was all wrong. He'd imagined a glorious battle, a biblical meeting, where he would slay the beast with honor. This was not a slaying, this seemed to have been a massacre. The signs of struggle obvious, various objects Gold had meticulously collected from many realms, clocks, jewellery and other miscellany strewn across the floor. There was even a little pile of porcelain beside the body, the smallest chips like snow against the wood.

After gawping at the scene for a few breathless moments he stepped into the interior of the shop, holding his hands out in front of him as if to defend himself. A few steps in he jumped as his foot met a particularly creaky board, his heart beginning to hammer in his chest but there was no resultant sound, nobody asking who was there as he had expected. Instead the noise echoed off into the bowels of the building, but then... what was that? A sniff? Killian clutched the flashlight at his hip, and walked a little further.

"Hello?" he said flicking the flashlight into his hand, his heart buoyed a little by the beam of light he had now "Belle? Do you need help love?"

In response another snuffle, followed by a familiar Australian voice. "Go away"

"What's happened in here?" Killian said undeterred, even if his words came out a little shaky. "Did someone break in?"

"I said, go" was the firm reply

then it hit him, like a pan over the head… there had been no sign of break in at all other than the antiques  
"Did-di-did you do this?"

"Leave me _alone_ Killian! Phone the police if you want, or go get Emma to do it but don't come any closer!" Belle was beginning to yell, then her voice sank into a cold hiss "you wouldn't understand."

"I'm coming to talk to you properly. Shouting non-sequiturs over a dead man isn't helping anybody" he said looking once again at his old enemy. Stepping over Gold Killian disappeared further almost tripping over a leg sticking out from behind the counter. "Bloody Hell" he swore under his breath as he tried to regain his balance while flapping his arms.

The woman was silently sobbing. Crunched up hugging one knee, clutching the sickeningly familiar dagger and dripping in blood. It coated the blade and her hands, she even had patches of red smeared down her face. She looked up at Killian with bloodshot eyes and sniffed again, a look of disgust coloring her now pasty skin "didn't you hear what I just said?"

"Aye. I did." he stated with a nod.

"then why didn't you listen to me?"

"because the man that I've long wished dead is lying in a pool of blood, in his own shop and I had nothing to do with it." this came out a little more aggressively than he had wanted. So much so that Belle flinched.  
"Sorry Belle." Killian said attempting to soften, consciously slouching a little "I just want an explanation"


	3. Chapter 2

**_Author's Note  
_** _ **Belle might act a little bit ooc in this chapter, however I hope to return to normal afterwards. I just found this break from character to be crucial to the story that I want to tell.  
**_

* * *

Belle sighed heavily, and even though it didn't seem possible retreated further into herself without actually moving. Her eyes glazed over with memory and her lips seemed to seal shut. Beside her, feeling his own jaw clench Killian didn't shout or demand like he wanted, instead he relaxed himself into the cabinet he was sat in front of, assuming a faintly reassuring smile even through the boiling sensation in his stomach.

Minutes trickled by in what seemed like hours but finally she spoke. It was with a deliberate voice that she answered.

"It started this morning" she began "I woke up early, earlier even than Rumple usually did and saw him staring intently at the ceiling. I put a hand on his shoulder to let him know I was awake too but he just kept gawping, his eyes were so wide, so empty I thought something must have been going on behind them in that brain of his.

Anyway he got up eventually and left, disappearing into his lab. I didn't say I was following him but I sneaked in behind him to see what he was doing... and I saw him leafing through a book, one I'd never seen before, even in passing at the library. He turned to look at me, but his face was just so full of hate and malice that i didn't see Rumple... I saw the dark one again, all of the stuff that I love so dearly about him was gone. He staggered towards me, but all he could do was blub. He looked like a fish doing that, rather than a crocodile... anyway. He tried to reassure me that what was contained in that volume wasn't some evil dark magic. But I didn't believe him. I stormed past to look myself.  
And what I saw was... shocking. Illustrations of bodies and men ripped up, and others with horns grafted to their heads to see if the human skull could stand it...

"I thought all of this was behind you Rumple. I thought you'd gotten better" I said, reading some of the notes he'd left inside.  
He replied with an "I have!"  
"But you didn't believe him? So you did this." Killian interrupted.

"I'd just had enough. He'd lied to me too many times saying he'd get better, I just had to get away from him. I didn't want to, but in that moment I thought it was the only way to do that." "I held this and it felt right" Belle hissed again looking at the twisting blade beneath her fingers, She felt a lump form in her throat. There, where the name of her former love had once been (along with a hundred other names throughout its history) was another name etched and embossed in black.

Hers.

The five letters seeming sparse on the metal still glinted with ominous intent.  
"No" she sighed as the letters seemed to grow to fill the space "Mother, now him... all gone because of me"

"Love," Killian said, placing a hand on her shoulder which she quickly swept away  
"Don't pretend like you care about any of this Killian."  
"Why d'you think I don't?" he said, hurt.  
"you wanted him _dead_! You said so! And me too! In case you've forgotten, you've threatened my life twice in the past!"  
"Well... a man can change."  
Belle chuckled mirthlessly and turned to stare at her husband again.  
Killian attempted to soften again, making his voice low "I know you've not had too much experience with that love, but it can happen."  
"I don't believe you." she spat, not turning back to look at him "You're lying to me"  
"Belle I promise..." He said, his voice quivering "What with my new position at the sheriff's station, I have a duty of care towards everyone in Storybrooke now."

"But it's no coincidence that you came here is it? When you could have sent your wife. She's been a sheriff for longer than you have"  
"I came because its late," He retorted slowly, breathing heavily through his nose "and because Emma is sleeping."  
"Prove it. Prove to me that you've not just come here to finish the job." she scrambled to her feet still wielding the knife and then thrust it forward until it was nearly touching Killian's throat. Instantly the room began to tilt, and shrink, every path leading straight toward her and certain injury... if not death. Her eyes glinted with a malice unseen on her face before, unless of course you were talking about the brief time when her body was inhabited by a buxom seductress called Lacey.  
"I-" Killian squeaked around the blade, feeling its icy tip pushing into his skin. "Belle..."  
"Shut up pirate." she snapped, forcing the dagger deeper into his skin, until a bead of blood blossomed in his jugular "Take the dagger and kill me too. Go on! If you don't... then I might just _start_ to trust you again"  
"I didn't know that this had happened, but Belle this isn't-"  
"This isn't what? This isn't me? I don't know maybe it is."  
"I promise you its not.  
"Maybe _this_ is who I've been all along. I was just to weak to harness it"  
"You're not weak Belle. Your heart-"  
"Yeah yeah, my heart's strong... my heart fell in love with a monster, my heart loved someone in spite of his flaws and only wanted to be a hero and to do the right thing but give me a _break! If I was ever truly honest with myself... I should have known you don't get the title of the dark one by being romantic or loyal. You get it by being rotten and calculating by taking advantage of others and never, ever changing."_

While the librarian continued to rant Killian reached into his pocket and felt the reassuring shape of the talking device he only occasionally called a phone and proceeded to press the Emma button. He hoped that she would be listening out, but at the same time doubted it what with the heavy sleeper thing she had going on.  
When the dial tone played for a mere few seconds he was taken off guard. "Emma?" He whispered into the handset. "You're awake?"  
"Nope" she said snarkily and then let out a massive fake yawn "Still sleeping"  
"Oh ha ha Swan, look... there's a situation down at Golds. A... serious situation. I need your help love."  
"Be right there" and with that she was gone, the dial tone started ringing in his ear again Killian thrust the phone back into his pocket and returned his attention to Belle. It was fortunate that he'd not looked away for longer, because now she had not only the knife but also a piece of rope, and by the looks of things she was preparing to wrap it around his neck.


End file.
